For Christmas: I'll attend Midnight Mass (I sing in the choir) and then in the morning I'll head to my sister's -- it's her first year hosting Christmas dinner in the new house she and her husband just built. Prime Rib is the meat of choice -- and plenty of everything else to feast upon.

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And the WORD was made flesh, and dwelt among us. (John 1:14)

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and happy new year as the case may be ;-)

My plans, probably wil be watching a Christmas story on TBS after camping out on various computers. The only real plan I have, is to attend the SAS 22nd EVR Christmas party, in which I'm helping the DJs with the crowd & connectivity issues for the SHOUTcast stream, logistics, etc. I also intend to gnosh on cookies in the process >_>. For new years resolutions, I am not making any this year... break none by next year. And just hope 2009 isn't any worse then 1929, and hopefully a better year for me then 2008 has been..... I could swear, every time I make a resolution, something blows up.

Random thought? My year revolved around Christmas for a long time, these days I'm closer to dreading it.

This year Christmas is probably going to busy and kind of crazy. My oldest daughter moved back home with her 2 kids (1 & 3), my sister has been staying with us for the last 2 months since she broke up with her boyfriend and I have an 11 yr old daughter also. Guess I should throw in my dog too.

I'm sure it will be fun with the little ones but it's sure to be hectic too. but I'll have lots of pictures...

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"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words." -Philip K. Dick

My plans were to do laundry while my wife worked a long shift at the hospital. However... my neighbors (who I did not know until two hours ago) took pity on me and invited me in to their family get-together. Now I'm full on food and booze. Best Christmas ever.

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the coffee maker with care,
In hopes that St. Hacholas soon would be there;
The programmers were nestled all snug in their cublicals,
While visions of sugar-cookies danced in their heads;
And my laptop in her dockin' station, and I in my cup o'Java,
Had just settled down for a long winter's compile,

When out on the main floor there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my work station to see what was the matter.
Away to the window, I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny computers,
With a little old coder, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Hacholas.
More rapid than eagles his computers, they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by hostname;

To the top of the desk! to the top of the stack!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the desk-top the computers, they flew,
With the sleigh full of disks, and St. Hacholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the keys
The prancing and pawing of each little click,
as the programs came into being.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the hallway St. Hacholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in denium, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of disks he had flung on his back,

And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, out the window he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his computers gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,